by Kimberley O'Sullivan, 22 July 2010

These days with the recession still biting at our heels, we're ever so conscious with our finances, which tends to relate to how much we spend on electricity, water and luxury items at home. But what happens when we go on holiday?

Are we wasting precious resources without even realising it? Are we taking too much and not giving enough back? Our fabulous holidays can sometimes end up 'costing' us a lot more than we expected, and makes it harder to slip back into 'real life' on our return.

So how do we do responsible travel, responsibly?

The Green Guy in my Luxury Suite

Responsible luxury travel. You might think it's an oxymoron, but believe me, it doesn't have to be! It's travelling with a conscience, as well as consciously making decisions that not only make your holiday or safari fantastic, but impacts on the local communities and initiatives you briefly come into contact with.

In Africa, the 'Green Guy' is not only in your luxury suite, but all over the place - in schools, orphanages, wildlife rehabilitation centers, local markets, organic fresh product farms and in anti-poaching units. If you chose to travel to Africa with responsibility towards the continent in mind, the impact you can have in just a week or three, can be huge and far reaching.

To sum it up? Responsible travel to Africa is about choosing the places you visit and the activities you do carefully, and it does not have to mean bedding down in some rustic hut either. 'Luxury' is key.

Dispelling the Responsiblity Myths

The first myth about responsible travel (particularly in Africa) is that you have to sacrifice quality and luxury in your hotels & lodges. Not at all!

Incredibly luxurious lodges throughout Africa offer an impeccable safari experience, with gourmet food, incredible game-viewing and sumptuous suites combining with their social or eco-conscious initiatives to create an all-round African holiday.

Our most highly recommended? Azura in Mozambique is an exclusive beach retreat that has become fully involved in their community by embracing ethical sustainable tourism. Grootbos in the Overberg & Whale Coast region is another fabulous luxury nature lodge, responsible for starting a horticultural school and organic fresh product farm.

Aha! you say. But responsible travel has got to be expensive!

Actually, many hotels and lodges in Africa that encourage responsible travel are in fact quite affordable. The Porini Camps in East Africa are a classic example: tented luxury in the heart of the Masai Mara or Amboseli with amazing Maasai community involvement, without the exorbitant price tag.

The other myth surrounding responsible African travel is that it's for backpackers, or those hippie-types wanting to change the world.

Well, yes, some of it is. But you can easily give back on your African holiday, without spending 6 weeks stuck in the middle of nowhere with people who have nothing in common with you.

A great example is the Cape Grace Hotel in the V&A Waterfront - a world-class luxury Cape Town hotel that just happens to make use of exceptional employment practices, taking a great interest in staff welfare. Being FairTrade accredited, hotels like the Cape Grace, Spier in Stellenbosch and The Peech Hotel in Johannesburg avoid the scary 'bushwacker' myths yet still give back to communities and the environment.

You're Fair Trade Accredited. Now What?

We've all heard of Fair Trade, but no one seems to know exactly what it means, apart that it adds extra kudos to a hotel or destination. Well, Fair Trade started in the 1960s to help producers in developing countries (like in Africa) to receive a better deal for international trade in commodities.

It's grown into a world-wide label, recognized on a global scale and giving those associated with it a respectability and the knowledge that they subscribe to ethical practices.

Hotels and lodges in Africa have become Fair Trade Accredited because of their own social or eco initiatives, and making it easier for you to choose where to stay or where to visit.

A great example situated on a private reserve near Wellington, is Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse, an exclusive country lodge known for their amazing gourmet cuisine, but who also protect the endangered renosterveld fynbos and have started an Eco-School in the nearby community.

Staying at a hotel or lodge that has been Fair Trade accredited means that even if you don't personally get involved (although there are many opportunities to do so), you're helping give back, the right way.

Tips on Responsible African Travel

If your mind is made up and your next African holiday is going to be as green as the Okavango Delta in summer, then here are some tips to travelling responsibly:

Buy locally-made curios, hire a local guide, respect the cultures and traditions of the country you're in, use water sparingly in your hotel or lodge, ask before you take a photograph, respect the environment and never litter, and take the time to find out about the sustainable practices you're contributing to.

Above all, enjoy this incredible continent: eat gourmet food, be daring and try an exciting activity, go on early morning game drives, and marvel at the scenery - it is Africa after all.

Readers' Comments:

Have you visited any socially-responsible lodges in Africa? Let us know.

Article © Copyright 2010 Go2Africa.

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